Musically, they carry on in the tradition of Griffin's old bands as well as other doom rock/metal bands such as Trouble, the Obsessed, Saint Vitus, and, above all, Black Sabbath. Lyrically, however, they add a different slant, owing to Griffin's mid-'90s conversion to Christianity. (The name Place of Skulls, in fact, is a biblical reference.) After self-releasing an eponymous EP as well as a live album (simply entitled Live!), the band recorded their first official full-length in the year 2001 with the intention of releasing it through the Man's Ruin label. However, when that label went under in mid-2001, they switched to the L.A.-based Southern Lord imprint for future distribution. ~ William York